Stop-signal for vehicles.



M. w. ARNDT & A. w. SAN FORD. STOP SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1916.

1,251,322.- Patented Dec. 25,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. w. ABNDT'-& A.W SANFORD. STOP SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26. i916.

Patented Dec. 25,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O ii-LLLLJ-i UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE,

iuhxnurmlm w. ennn'r AND ARTHUR W. saivronn; or onnvntmnjomo. I

sron-sIGnAL non vEHIcLns.

Specification of Letters ra Patented Dec. 25, 191 7.

Application filed October 26, 1916. Striallflo. 127,884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, llTAXIMILIAN Armor and ARTHUR W. SANFORD, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Stop-Signals for Vehicles, of which the following is a'specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in'stop signals for vehicles, and. is particularly intended for use on motor vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide means for exposingat the rear ot the vehicle a signal containing the word Stop or other suitable signal when the vehicle has stopped, or is about to stop.

an electric contact.

,ported at the back of the suitable bearing A further object of the invention is to connect the signal with thexclutch lever of a motor vehicle so that when the clutch lever is moved to release the clutch for. stoping the vehicle, the signal will be exposed y the movement of the clutch lever.

further object of my invention is to antomatically cause a light adjacent the signal when it is exposed'for use at night.

In theaccompan-ying drawings Figure 1 shows an outline of a motor vehicle body with our invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 isan enlarged-rear elevation of the stop signal; its shield and light.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the portion H of Fig. 2.

-Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing the inner edges of the signal plates carrying Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view partly in section .of the electrical contact for the light adjacent the signal plates.

In Fig. 1 we illustrate an outline of a vehicle body 1, to which our stop signal is shown applied. In carrying out our 1nvention a shield plate 2 is suitably supvehicle either in the center or at one side. Two signal plates 3 have their inner lower corners pivotally connected with the. shield 2. The pivotal connections consists of two rolls 4 to which the inner lower corners of the plates 3 are attached, and these rOliS journaled on a The word Stop is arrange on these places, two letters of the mitted to following manner word being on one plate and the other two on the other plate.' These plates 3 are shown elevated in their signal position in Fig. 2. When, however, they are perdrop down, they will fall behind the shield 2. These plates 3 are operatively connectedwith' a suitable lever for elevating them to the signal position, shown, in Fig. 2. YVhen applied to a motor vehicle, the clutch pedal or lever 6 is operatively connected with the signal plates 3 1n the rod, wire or-chain 7 1s suitably connected with the clutch lever 6, either directly or through the medium of a suitable c lamp-8. "The opposite end of the rod, Wire orchain 7 is divided :into two flexible members 9, one fiexlble connection being attached to and passes around one of y the rolls 4:, and the other flexible connection passes around the other roll 4. A pullon the rod, wireo'rchain 7, causes the rolls to rotate in a direction to elevate the signal plates 3 to the positions shown in Figs},

. 2 and 5. When the flexible members 9 are released the signal plates will dropbehind the shield 2.

Preferably a Wire'or chain 7 is used, and

preferably this passes through 'atube 10, extending under the car-body and suitably attached thereto, the rear end 11 of the tube 10 being attached to the shield 2, and'if desired, this tube 10 may form the support for the-stop signal and its shield, as shown in Fig. ,1.

Located in the rear end of the tube 10 is a contact spring 12 the lower end 13 of which is suitably connected with the memher-7, and the upper end 14 isstationary and held" in any suitable manner to the tube 11, and the contacting spring 12 serves to pull the member 7 upward and, rearward in the tube 10.

In operation when tize lever 6 is moved forward, it pulls the member 7 drawing down on the flexible members 9, which are connected with the rollers 4 causing them to turn and carry with them the signal plates 3, thus swinging the signal plates upward in the position shown in Fig.- 2,' exposing the signal and indicating'to those behindthat the vehicle is going to stop.

It will be understod, of course, that the invention could be applied to any type of vehicle other than a motor vehicle, and in which event, the lever 6 could be eithera brake lci'cr or simply an idle lever having only the function of operating the signal.

The spring 1'2, only serves to take up the slack on the member 7, and where the signal plates 3 are made sulliciently heavy this spring may be omitted because the signal plates 3 will normally tall by gravity, and it the weight is suli'icient, this gravity will serve to pull the member 7 without the intervention of the spring 12.

For the purpose of making the signal visible at night, we provide a light 14. at the rear side ot'the shield '2, and this light is inv an electrical circuit 15, suitablyjconnected with any source of electricity 16. whether battery or an electrical generator. Also in this circuit and lccated at the dash is a light 17. so that the operator may know when the light 14: is operated.

The means for causing the closing of the electrical circuit 15 when the plates 3 are elevated, consists in having one of these plates provided witlrthe casing 18, and the other plate 3 with a contact 19. The two wires 15 of the electrical circuit pass into one end of the casing 18, as shown at 90, and will be suitably insulated from the casing. Located in the casing is a movable contact member 21. carrying at one end a circuit closer 22. which is insulated from the movable member 21, by suitable insulation 23. A

spring 24 has one end engaging a stop partition 25, in the casing and the other end engaging a flange or pin 26, carried by the movable member 21. hormally the spring 24 holds the member 21 in the position shown in Fig. 6, and the circuit closer 22 open. lVhen, however. the signal plates 3 are elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2, the members 19 and 21 are caused to engage, which will push the member 21 cndwise in the case and cause the circuit closure '22 to engage the ends 20 of the circuit wires 15, thus closing the circuit and causing the lights 14 and 17 to be lighted. A suitable switch 27 will be placed at any point in the circuit so that the circuit can be broken in the daytime preventing the use of current arid of lamps.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A signal comprising a supporting and shield plate, signal members pivoted at their inner upper ends to the shield plate and normally held down behind said plate, and

means for moving the said signal members upwardly in a horizontal position with their ends abutting.

2. A signal comprising a shield plate. two plates pivoted thereto and normally behind the shield plate. means for swinging the said plates from behind the shield plate and arranging them for displaying a signal. an electric lamp adjacent the signal plates, an

cuit

electric circuit including the said lamp and a make and break electric contact carried by the signal plates and also within the said cirwhereby when the signal plates are swung from behind the shield plate the lamp is lighted.

- 3. A signal comprising a supporting and shield plate, signal members pivoted at their inner and upper ends to the shield plate and normally held down beyond said plate and swinging upwardly in opphsite directions, and means for swinging the signal members upwardly from behind the plate in an abutting position.

4:. A signal comprising a shield plate. two signal plates pivoted to the upper edge of the shield plate and normally down behind the plate and capable of swinging up in opposite dircctions from behind the plate, means for swinging thesignal plates from behind the shield plate, electric connections with the plates adjacent their pivotal points and with swinging means whereby when the swinging means is operated. the signal plates are swung from behind the shield plate to constitute a signal,

. 5. A signal comprising a shield plate. two, si nal plates pivoted thereto and normally behind the shield plate but capable of swinging to exposed position. an electric lamp carried by the shield plate. an electric circuit including the said lamp. a circuit closer within the circuit and carried by one of the signal platesQthe said circuit closed y the signal plates when swung to exposed posi- 100 tion. and means for swin ing the signal plates from behind the shield plate.

6. A signal comprising a shield plate, two 1 signal plates mo ably attached thereto and normally behind the shield plate but capa- W5 ble of be ng mo ed to expos d position, an

electric lamp adiacent the shield plate. an electric circuit includ ng the said lamp. a planner ac uated circuit closure within the circuit and carried by one of the signal 11!) plates. an abutment carried by the other signal late for engaging the said plunger when the signal plates are exposed for displaying a signal. the enga ement of the abutment and plunger closing the circuit v plates each bearing a portion of a signal word thereon. the said plates normally behind the shield plate, and means for expos 13a ing and alining the said plates so that the fragments'of the signal word carried thereon will be assembled and a signal displayed.-

9. A signal comprising a supporting and shield plate, signal members pivoted at their inner upper ends to the shield plate and normally held down behind said'plate, means for moving said signal members upwardly in abutting position, an electric circuit including-a lamp carried by the plate, and make and break members carried by the abutting edges'of the signalmember, whereby when the 'signal members are swung from behind the shield plate in abutting position the lamp is lighted.

10. A signal comprising a shield plate, two plates each bearing a portion of a signal word thereon, the said plates normally held behind the shield plate, means-tor exposing and alining the said plates so that the fragments of the signal Word carried thereon will be assembled and a signal displayed an electric circuit including a lamp carrie by the plate, and a make and break member carried by the abutting edges of the signal members, whereby when the signal members are alined in abutting-position the lamp is lighted.

'-In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two wit- 30 nesses.

MAXIMILIAN W. ARNDT.

ARTHUR \V. SANFORD. Witnesses:

MARIE ARNDT, HELEN M. SANFORD. 

